Customer Reviews

Yoga Practice for Energy [VHS]

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this tape about 4 years ago--when stressed out, and in bad shape, and looking for a quick fix. This tape wasn't it. While I could handle the first two segments, I couldn't even begin to do the postures in the third, and I quit after a few days with very sore muscles. However: I've since begun a regular fitness program, and returned to the tape, and I now love it and use it frequently. The 5 segments are tailored to different energy levels and different needs. The first, easy segment is good for a wake-up, and sometimes I use it for a stretch when I am stiff from the computer. It's very short---probably not even 10 minutes, and just the right time period for a refreshing break. The second segment, "Centering," has a lot of balance postures that, with practice, really improve your focus and concentration not just in yoga but in other areas of life. This one is really my favorite---I look forward to doing it, and have felt very positive changes from having this routine in my life. The third segment is the most strenuous---sun salutes and backbends, but you can modify those poses with props. The fourth and fifth sections, "Reflection" and "Surrender," are, respectively, a seriew of quiet forward bends and stretches, and a total relaxation. The only problem here, as another reviewer mentioned, is that Rodney Yee comes in very abruptly with commentary at the end of the relaxation, and you have to be lying there on the floor with the remote control in your hand in order to turn him off.

This tape is a great, adaptible practice, and fits in with other exercise tapes (for example, you might want to use the "reflection" or "relaxation" to cool down at the end of an aerobic workout). I would suggest for beginners doing only the first part of the tape until you feel confident enough to go on...but you should really have a little prior instruction because he calls out the names of the poses and doesn't talk you through them. You have to know them already---it's hard to pick them up from a first time viewing. A book is more helpful here than a tape. I found that "The American Yoga Association Beginner's Manual" by Alice Christensen was an ideal supplement for me.

I've been practicing yoga with tapes for about 9 months now and consider myself to be an advanced beginner. This tape was very different from any of the others I've tried, mainly because there was no narrative instruction. The instructor, Rodney Yee, simply states the name of each pose, assuming that you are already familiar with the poses. Therefore, this tape is NOT for beginners who have never done yoga before. However, for those who have already learned the poses elsewhere, the difficulty of this tape is at a beginner or advanced beginner level.

The five sections of the tape are designed to be performed throughout the day based on your needs. The first, Awakening, is 9 minutes of mostly floor stretches and moves very slowly. The second, Centering, is 7 minutes of relatively easy standing poses and is designed to be used in the morning. The third and longest section (15 minutes) is Creativity. This section is designed to be done during the day for energy, and it moves much more quickly than any of the other sections. Although I enjoyed how Rodney flowed from one pose to the other, it moved a little too fast for me--for example, you must very quickly move from downward dog to a standing pose such as proud warrior. One interesting thing was that the standing poses weren't just done on one side of the body and then the other. For example, instead of doing proud warrior left and then proud warrior right, you do proud warrior left, then side stretch right, etc. in a whole sequence before eventually going back and reversing the sequence to do the moves on the other side. Again, I liked the flow, but it moved very fast.

The last two sections really are meant to be done together. First is Reflection, which contains 11 minutes of seated forward bends for tranquility. Finally comes Surrender, 4 minutes in relaxation pose. This is the only time which Rodney provides more instruction, as he leads you through a guided relaxation. At the END of the tape, Rodney talks about the purpose of the workout as well as how to modify the poses, so it would probably be helpful to watch this section first. The scenery is a beautiful beach setting, and the music is softly new-agey (flutes, etc.). For the three middle sections, Rodney has 1-2 others performing the routine along with him.

Although I liked this video, it doesn't really meet my personal needs. I think this workout would be best for someone who can purchase a DVD version, which would make it a lot easier to move between the different workouts. If you are someone who would like to do different types of yoga routines at different times of the day, this tape would be for you.

I have 5 or 6 yoga vidoes, and this is definitely the best. Starts and ends slowly (as yoga should). Moves you through most of the typical standing poses, and includes lots of flexibility as well as strength exercises. Not boring, little talking, and a thorough workout. I highly recommend this video.

This video is great for me because it is split into 5 short workouts. I don't know about anyone else, but getting up way early to exercise just isn't possible, but 16 minutes early to do the first 2 sections is entirely doable. The scenery is nice and the only instruction is the name of the pose, no lengthly instruction which may get on your nerves after the 15th time you use the tape. So, if you are a complete beginner i would suggest doing the Yoga Journal's Practice for Beginners for a little more instruction.

I love this video. I purchased it a few years ago after taking a series of classes; so I already knew a few poses. As I could no longer afford to take classes, I started looking for a good, soothing video from which to develop a daily routine. This definitely was it: the program moves from a gentle stretching phase to a more vigorous series of poses and then back again. All of the routines emphasize a continuous flow between poses (no jumping around here!) Few of the poses in the video are out of reach for the average beginner and, even more importantly, the video stresses doing only what is comfortably within your range of motion - unlike some live classes!

The only reason I award this video 4 stars instead of 5 is that I found the duration of each segment to not be long enough - the stretching was over before I was sufficiently warmed up, and the more vigorous routines ended before I had had enough, forcing me to divorce my attention from meditating through each pose to locating the remote and rewinding the tape (I'd really love it if these were on DVD). Still, I would recommend this video to anyone who was either developing a passion for yoga or just interested in a deeply relaxing yet invigorating workout!

For intermediate yoga students only (beginners will be confused), this tape is fantastic. It's a great, full-body workout. With it's lengthy warm-up session (usually, I fast-forward through warm ups), it's the perfect tape for AM practice. I love the structure of the tape, and the minimal voice-over. And--let's face it--Rodney Yee is a fox. Put my leg around my neck, Rodney? Okay!

This is a tape you can use dialy for a very long time. Unlike most other tapes, there is little or no instructional verbiage; just the postures. This eliminates the boredom from viewing a tape with a lot of instruction after you've learned how to do the postures.

I feel this tape is for intermediates - some parts even border on advanced - it is an excellent tape and will give you quite a workout. I have been doing yoga 4-6 times a week for a few months so I thought I was ready for this - ha!! I was very sore for a couple of days but VERY energized! This tape is definitely worth purchasing and as always, Rodney Yee is poetry in motion to watch as are the 2 women in the tape. HOW do they get so in sync??!!

As a beginner I LOVED IT!!! It's perfect for a morning workout and keeps you going all day long. It's also perfect as a "cool down" after a long day at work or a hard evening in the kitchen. I even got my husband involved...he loves it too. It's a must own!!!!

Very beautiful visually, but that is not what counts after you have used the video every day for a couple of months. The second part is wonderful. The third part I really dislike doing 3 back bends in a row but they say what you dislike is probably what you need to work on. The fourth part is very relaxing though I don't use a bolster(as suggested) and cannot bend all the way to the floor on a front bend sitting. My only Big complaint with this video is that Rodney Yee comes on directly following the relaxation pose, which is the last part of the tape. Either you must reach for the remote control and ruin your state of relaxed mind or else listen to him giving the benefits of doing the video....I prefer Patricia Waldens relaxation at the end of "For Beginners" Overall though practicing this video daily is wonderful: giving you a healthier state of mind and leaving you energized.